It is about the way some puck heads identify with their sport and it's culture and their perception that hockey is a "Canadian" sport and that it is faster, tougher, and superior to any other winter sport.

The other sad thing that many people wont openly admit to, but I've encountered living in Oshawa, is that Hockey remains (on the player and fan ends) a mainly white guy sport. Basketball is perceived as a more inner city/black and to an extent, European white guy game. Many of the hardcore hockey guys Ive encountered cant get into it for that reason. This goes both ways. I've heard lots of guys on basketball sites hate on the Raptors for getting too European for instance. I've been really pleasantly surprised to look at a crowd at a Raptors game and see a great variety of people and cultures embracing the team and the game. My big hope is that MLSE has the incentive from the lack of hockey, to put more of an effort into helping management put a team together down the road, that is more capable of contending for and in the playoffs than it might have otherwise. Fingers crossed.

As a puck head myself (although i grew up playing baseball as my summer sport) hockey fans will just gravitate to whoever else is playing hockey, such as the AHL's Toronto Marlies, OHL's St. Michael's Majors and the Oshawa Generals. Even U of T, Ryerson University, University of Ontario, and York University should get a spike in there OUA/CIS attendance figures. Leafs fans however didn't notice how much money they saved during the last lockout and will most likely be oblivious to it this time around. As for TSN lets just put it this way I get WAY MORE hockey news FASTER from them than I do from NHL.com. They won't give it up. The Score might provide more basketball coverage though.

As a puck head myself (although i grew up playing baseball as my summer sport) hockey fans will just gravitate to whoever else is playing hockey, such as the AHL's Toronto Marlies, OHL's St. Michael's Majors and the Oshawa Generals. Even U of T, Ryerson University, University of Ontario, and York University should get a spike in there OUA/CIS attendance figures. Leafs fans however didn't notice how much money they saved during the last lockout and will most likely be oblivious to it this time around. As for TSN lets just put it this way I get WAY MORE hockey news FASTER from them than I do from NHL.com. They won't give it up. The Score might provide more basketball coverage though.

The Score will always be the best for ball news. TSN and Sportsnet have got the puck down.

The Score will always be the best for ball news. TSN and Sportsnet have got the puck down.

+1 and courtsurfing is the best thing to happen to Canadian basketball since James Naismith. But I've always found sports net does a lot more baseball than hockey. Atleast until the baseball season is over,

+1 and courtsurfing is the best thing to happen to Canadian basketball since James Naismith. But I've always found sports net does a lot more baseball than hockey. Atleast until the baseball season is over,

Actually I think if anything, the NHL lockout benefits the Toronto Marlies more than the Toronto Raptors. I think the real hardcore hockey fans are just hockey fans. And the real hardcore basketball fans are basketball fans.

It's also tough to gauge because generally speaking people who take the time to peruse forums are usually hardcore sports fans in general. People here (not all of you) likely follow several sports at once. Another thing is that people in forums tend to be highly opinionated and have particular tastes for sports. I for one am a huge NFL fan but have absolutely no interest in CFL. Nor baseball for that matter. If the NFL had been locked out the chances of me tuning into a Blue Jays or Argos game would still remain at 0%.

Actually I think if anything, the NHL lockout benefits the Toronto Marlies more than the Toronto Raptors. I think the real hardcore hockey fans are just hockey fans. And the real hardcore basketball fans are basketball fans.

It's also tough to gauge because generally speaking people who take the time to peruse forums are usually hardcore sports fans in general. People here (not all of you) likely follow several sports at once. Another thing is that people in forums tend to be highly opinionated and have particular tastes for sports. I for one am a huge NFL fan but have absolutely no interest in CFL. Nor baseball for that matter. If the NFL had been locked out the chances of me tuning into a Blue Jays or Argos game would still remain at 0%.

You kind of destroyed your argument "... I think if anything, the NHL lockout benefits the Toronto Marlies more than the Toronto Raptors" by saying "If the NFL had been locked out the chances of me tuning into a ...Argos game would still remain at 0%."

I can see not turning to baseball, since the pace of baseball and football are completely different. However both hockey and basketball are fast paced games, five guys on the floor at a time, individual stars can make a significant impact on the game etc.

I mean, I don't know. When the NBA lock down was in effect, I didn't turn to hockey, but I am not a big TV sports guy anyway. It just meant time I would have spent on Raptors gazing I could put to effective use someplace else.

You kind of destroyed your argument "... I think if anything, the NHL lockout benefits the Toronto Marlies more than the Toronto Raptors" by saying "If the NFL had been locked out the chances of me tuning into a ...Argos game would still remain at 0%."

I can see not turning to baseball, since the pace of baseball and football are completely different. However both hockey and basketball are fast paced games, five guys on the floor at a time, individual stars can make a significant impact on the game etc.

I mean, I don't know. When the NBA lock down was in effect, I didn't turn to hockey, but I am not a big TV sports guy anyway. It just meant time I would have spent on Raptors gazing I could put to effective use someplace else.

How is that destroying my argument? The Marlies and Leafs play the same sport. Often at the same caliber.

Baseball isn't a sport, and comparing the NFL to CFL is like saying that flying an airplane is the same as me flapping my arms and running around in a circle.

I prefer a good NCAA hoops match up, say Indiana/Kentucky or Gonzaga/St Marys to any NBA regular season or playoff game. The games have an intensity pro basketball can't touch.

I agree. College sports are pretty awesome.

The problem for me of comparing NFL to CFL is that the CFL doesn't play the same sport as the NFL. They're both football, but the roles are completely different. It isn't fair for me to belittle the CFL either. Taking sarcasm aside I do know some decent human beings who prefer CFL. It's just one game is different than the other.

At least AHL plays the same sport as the NHL. I have a couple of co-workers who are big hockey fans and have zero interest in basketball. If the NHL remains locked out, there's absolutely no question they'll start following the Marlies. There is no way they will turn to a different sport.

It's the casual fans who watch several sport for entertainment that might switch over to basketball more. But they have to be watching basketball already in the first place. I don't think you're going to be able to turn a hockey fan into a basketball fan.

... I don't think you're going to be able to turn a hockey fan into a basketball fan.

Well, we've already had one poster in this thread talk about that happening to him. That's about one out of sixteen, or better than a 6% conversion rate. If the puckheads in the GTA converted at a %6 rate, every Raps game would be sold out.

Well, we've already had one poster in this thread talk about that happening to him. That's about one out of sixteen, or better than a 6% conversion rate. If the puckheads in the GTA converted at a %6 rate, every Raps game would be sold out.

Read what I wrote again.

That one poster in this thread was already watching basketball when the NHL lockout happened and that turned him to watching MORE basketball. Very different.

Actually I became a much bigger fan (ie closely following the team) after the last hockey lockout. I watched more basketball and then continued when the lockout was over.

But the reason i don't watch hockey anymore is because of that lockout, just like I don't follow baseball any more after the Expos got screwed. Do I care that hockey is locked out AGAIN, not in the least!